Liz Richter | Artist Interview by Miranda McDonald
Liz Richter
Interview by Miranda McDonald
Photos by Leslie Rodriguez
Liz Richter is a Louisville artist that can do it all. However, you don’t have to take our word for it. You can simply head to Hikes Point and feast your eyes on the 1300 ft mural she created as a means of bringing joy to the local neighborhood through meticulously-placed splashes of deeply saturated hues. While you are out, you can also pop into NULU and see Richter's latest solo art show, or even ask her to join you for a cup of coffee in the Clifton neighborhood, where she can explain the multi-sensory art project she is currently planning to launch there. If there is an artist who is constantly striving to unite the local community through her art, Richter is it.
Miranda McDonald: Do you remember the moment you knew you wanted to be an artist?
Liz Richter: It’s always been inside me to be an artist. But growing up in a rural community, artists only existed in art history books. I didn’t think it was something attainable for me. There are so many days that I go to my studio, and as I’m unlocking the door I have to pinch myself as a reminder that this is my real life.
Do you think art can be an important tool for bringing the local and global community together?
This is something I think about a lot. I think art can help us process and contextualize our local responses to larger issues in a way that is personal, yet also universal. One of the things I love about art is how it can help us better understand one another and ignite empathy. I’m often aiming to hit a chord that resonates across demographics and a purely human experience.
I know you have painted a few murals, locally. How important has painting been in your personal life throughout the years?
Painting is something comparatively new to me as an art form. I’ve only taken one painting class, and I really didn’t start painting until I started doing murals about 8 years ago. My painting style is rooted in drawing or illustration, and I still think of my paintings as versions of that practice that manifest in brush form. Creating art helps me work through conflicting thoughts and emotions. Media and subject matter vary for me, as I am easily bored. However, that internal narrative is always there. I’m honestly just grateful to be at a point in my career that allows me to say no to projects that don’t inspire me, or spark joy.
Can you tell me more about your work with the Clifton Public Art Project, and the overall goals for the project?
The Clifton Multi-Sensory Public Art Project is a passion project that was inspired by my residencies at the Kentucky School for the Blind and my neighborhood walks. While walking down Frankfort Avenue one day, I wondered what a mural that could be inclusive to the Clifton BVI (blind and visually impaired) community would look like. I’ve spent the last year researching and consulting stakeholders and neighbors to gather how to best represent my neighborhood through this endeavor. Clifton is similar to the landscape it rests upon. Every corner of the area is layered with fossils. These fossils speak to the area’s complex and intermingled history, and to the roots that are deep and far-reaching. The story of how it has been a haven and an internationally recognized hub of innovative technology for BVI people for over 150 years is lesser-known. This project is slow, thoughtful and organic. We are collaborating with Clifton’s blind and visually impaired organizations, Louisville Visual Art, and now directly with a local BVI performing artist named Darren Harbour. We have the vision of creating a BVI friendly walking tour along Frankfort Avenue with art markers that include digital, Braille and audio content formatted for accessibility. The project hub will be a large, tactile installation in Banks Commons, which is the green space across the street from the American Printing House for the Blind. I’ve also spent a great amount of time studying the human practice of experiencing art and considering all the senses that are involved. Specifically, I’m learning more about how the BVI community chooses to engage with art, visual and otherwise. I’ve playfully referred to the installation as “The Learning Curve,” not only for its shape, but because the project continues to evolve as we receive feedback from the community, and adjust our thinking along the way.
Let’s shift gears a bit. I have to say I was truly inspired when I saw your recent ALT collection and how it (I assume) was inspired by this year’s cicada invasion. How did that come about?
My five-year-old son had so many questions about the recent invasion. As I started to research, I couldn’t stop thinking about their bizarre biological properties. I saw them as a metaphor for post-quarantine humanity in 2021. The painted objects developed from a trip home this summer. I found the moment of confronting relics or memories from my teens eerily similar to the feeling many of us experienced this June when we walked outside to see the cicada shells scattered all over the trees and plants. Overnight, a miniature resurrection occurred and our world was invaded. The series of objects are a visual representation of my thoughts as I took inventory of 17 years of adult life and processed the impact of trends, beauty standards and social pressure on my own identity. I mean, is there any object that says 2004 teen girl more than a straightener?
Are there any other projects you are working on or will be working on in the near future?
I will be hosting my first solo show in August 2022 at Revelry Boutique Gallery! Since I work primarily on the streets or in other mediums that tend to be more commercial, my gallery work is infrequent, but much more autobiographical and internal. I have big plans for transforming that space into a little corner of my crazy colorful, chaotic mind.
Is there anything else you wanted the Printed readers to know?
If you are interested in volunteering or contributing to the Clifton Multi-Sensory Project, you can learn more at www.multisensoryart.org.
If you would like to know more about Liz Richter, please visit:
Website- www.lizrichterart.com
Instagram- @lizrichterart
